Adjustable valve-operating means



C. COLLINS ADJUSTABLE VALVE OPERATING MEANS Filed Oct. 9, 1922 2 Sheets Sheet l K ail/45 Z V W A Feb. 17. 1925.

5110014 fo'c w. j h

lvit neoo Feb. 25- 1,526,629 r v c. COLLINS ADJUSTABLE VALVE OPERATING MEANS Filed Oct. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 Elia-i1 Patented Feb. 17, 1925,

: UNITED STATES "PATE-N-T i IOLFFICIE.

CALHOUN COLLINS, or BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA.

AnJUsTAnLn vanvn onnnarme ivrna'ns.

'Ap ncaumi filed October 9;1'922; Serial mi 5921273.

' 'To all whom'itmay'concem': tionof the crank shafttaken longitudinally "Be it known that I, CALHOUN CoLLINs, aand at 'rightangles to" the view shown in "citizen of" the United 'Statesf residing at Fig. 1. l Bakersfield, intheco'unty of Kernand State Figure 3 is a perspective view of the crank of California, have invented certain new shaft.

and *useful Improvements in Adjustable Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of valve oprating"Means; and I at declare' the eccentrics. the following to be a fullgclearg and exact i Figure 5 is a perspective view of the secdesc'i'iption' 01 the invention, such as fv'vill 0nd eccentric. enahle'others"skilled inthe art to which it Figure 6 is asectional view through the fapjert'ains to make and'usethe same. Shifting shaft taken along the line 66 of This invention relates to 'an' improved "Fig. 1. v'alveactuatingmeans and one" object" ofthe This" valveoperatingmechanism is for use invention is to provide valve actuating" in connection with an engine which includes means for use in connection with a steam ariank caseindicated in'general by the letengine, the valve actuating meansincluding" 'ter C and having at its side a bearinggl ineccentriceleinents carried by the ctanlz'shaft'"cliiding centrallydisposed and longitudiand adjustahle so that the operation of the rially' extending hearing" sleeve 2 through valve "with tes'pe'ct to the totation of the Wvhich extends the end of the crankshaft 3. crank shaft may be controlled. This crank shafti'l has its 'end portion bored Another olojectof the invention is to proorhollow as at 3 so thatthe adj usting shaft *zvide iiiiprovedineans' format/Ling the eccen tx'may berec'eivedt'herein' and have its outer tri'ra'dially' of the"shaft and to so constiuct 'ndportion extending into 'the bearing 5 the adjustingmeans that iti'na v include which is "pivotally engaged by the forks 6 at shaft which extendslongitiidinally thrtihghthe lower end ofthe adjusting lever 7, which ""onendjoortion"ofthecr'ank shatt andhave is pivotally mounted by means of a bearing a spurgearelenfeflt meshing" with rackpor- "bracket 8 carriedhv the hearing cup 1. It tionfs' u'poiithe eccentrics. will thus be seen that when thelever 7 is Another object of the invention is to' so 'rnovecluponits pivot, the adjusting" shaft 4 soffconstfucttheadjustingnieans'that the shaft "may be'mo've'd longitudinally oiithe crank which eit'ends thiough the' cranlishatt may shaft 3. Since the adjusting shaft 4 is have a worm portion enga ingwvith a comounted in a bearing 5 it willbe readily operatingWvvorm 'eleiiient cai'ried bythe seen that this adjustingshatt mayrotate crank shaft to im oaft fotaryfrnove nent to with the crank shaft'and at the same time the" adjusting shaft w'he'n' 'movecllong'itudi 'heinoved'longitudinally of the cra'nk shaft. "nall'y' of thecralil'z shaft. Theshaft' 4E isrotata'bly mounted inbearings TAriotheihhject ofthe invention" is' to" s0 4:"2'ind 4 in'the bore 3 and said shaft is 1 construc'flthe c'Ce'iitTic'sjthzittheY may be provided with a" worm 9 which 1 extends "easily reniiivedend after heing c1eai1ed" or through andhas its teeth meshing'with the "repaired, easily and "quickly put "back" in teeth of a worm gear or'r'ing 10 mounted 'place. 'withinthe hollowcrank'shafts "The engage- Anothei' olo'je'ct ofthe invention is to"pro mentof the"teeth ofthe worm 9 "with the vide improved means-tor permtttingthaee' teeth of the Worm gear 10 will cause the "'centric to' he readily-moved radially of the sha'ft' tohave rotary movenientinclepndcranltshaft hut' ''15reven'ted"from" having*"ent ol 'the rotation oftthe shaft 3 when the movementlongitudinallythereof orcircum shaft t isinoved'longitudinally by means of 'terentially thereof. I V the lever 7. Therefore, th'e elongatedspur T "This invention is illustrated in theaccom=* gear 11 which is provided upon the shaft 4 panying diawings, wherein: nearthe'worm 9 will be rotated inthehol- "Figure I isa'" sectional view'showing a; low"crankshaftforimparting inovement to tragm'nt of an 'eiigine' with the improved the valve adjusting"eccentrics;' as will be hereinafter brought out.-

' 1 mechanism 1 associated therewith --F1gufe-2 is a secti'onal vievvthrougha por In order to open and closevalves" of a conventional structure, there has been provided the usual valve adjusting rods 12 which extend radially of the crank shaft and are connected with collars 13 which fit about cate with the central passage of the hollow crank shaft. Therefore, when the eccentricforming disks 14 and 15 are put in place as shown in Figs- 1 and 2 and connected by fasteners which pass through the ears 19, the two rack-forming arms 20 which extend from the disks 14 may extend into the hollow crank shaft and have their teeth meshing with the elongated spur gear 11. It should be noted that the disk 14 of one eccentric is upon the opposite side of the shaft 4 from the disk 14 of the second eccentric so that when the shaft 4 is rotated by the action of the worm 9 and worm gear 10, the two eccentrics will be moved in opposite directions to each other. Therefore the valve actuating rods will be moved in opposite direcwill be opened or closed the same amount.

' part the necessary reciprocating movement to the valve operating rods 12 and as the crank shaft rotates, the shaft 4 will turn wit-h it and of course will turn at the same rate of speed with its outer end turning in the bearing 5. When it is desired to adjust the valves, the lever 7 is moved to impart the crank shaft. Each of the eccentrics willlongitudinal movement to the adjusting shaft 4. As this shaft 4 moves longitudinally of the crank shaft 3, the worm 9 passes through the worm gear 10 and causes the shaft 4 to be rotated. As the shaft 4 rotates, the elongated spur gear 11 which meshes with the teeth of the rack 20 will cause the eccentric to be moved radially of be moved thesame amount and therefore I the two rods 12 will'be moved longitudinally .single cylinder, it would only be necessary to provide one of the eccentrics. It will also be understood that each end of the crank shaft could be provided wit-h similar valve-operating means and that if desired each end portion of the crank shaft could be provided with additional blocks 17 so that additional valves could be operated when the mechanism is used in connection with an engine having a large number of cylinders.

. I claim: I

1. In a structure of the character described, a rotary shaft having a longitudi nally extending passage, a block carried by and rotatable with said shaft, said block having opposite sides provided with seats and having a side passage communicating with the passage of said shaft, an adjusting rod extending longitudinally in thepassage of said shaft and having a worm and-an elongated pinion intermediate its length, a worm gear rigid in said shaft and extending about and in engagement with the teeth of said worm to impart rotary movement-to said rod when the rod is moved longitudinally, an eccentric slidable radially of said shaft and fitting in the seats of said block and having a rack-forming arm extending through the side passage and meshing with the elongated pinion, and means for moving said rod longitudinally to cause rotation thereof by the worm and worm gear and cause said pinion to impart movement to the eccentric radially of said shaft.

2. In a structure of the character described, a rotary shaft having a longitudinally extending passage,a block carried by and rotatable'with said shaft, said bloc-k having opposed parallel sides and having a side passage communicating with the passage of the shaft, an adjusting rod extending longitudinally in the passage of said shaft and having a worm and an elongated pinion. a worm gear rigid in said shaft and extending about and in engagement with the teeth of said worm to impart rotary movement to the rod when said rod is moved longitudinally, an eccentric slidable radially of said shaft and slidably engaged with the fiat sides of said block, said eccentric having a rack-forming portion extending through the aforesaid side passage into mesh with said elongated pinion. and means for moving said rod longitudinally to cause rotation thereof by the worm and worm gear, causing said pinion to impart radial movement to the eccentric.

3. A device of the class described comprising a shaft having an integral block between its ends, an eccentric around the shaft and block and connected with the latter for radial sliding. said shaft having a longitudinal bore and a lateral passage from said bore through said block, bearings at the ends of said bore, a ring within the bore between the ends of the latter and provided with internal worm teeth, ashaft in the bore having its ends slidahly and rotatably received in said bearings said last named shaft having an elongated Worm meshing with said Worm teeth and an elongated pinion extending across said lateral opening, a rack on the eccentric received in said lateral opening and meshing With said pinion, and means connected with the outer end of said last named shaft for longitudinally sliding the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

CALHOUN COLLINS. 

